Film holder



Oct. 31, 1933. H. s. WOLF 1,932,946

FILM HOLDER Filed Feb. 5. 1932 H /16 wig-V M ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES This invention relates to film holders and is particularly directed to a. holder for photographic films for supporting the films while being immersed in the developing solutions, and during the fixing, washing and drying operations.

An object of this invention is to provide a holder of the character described having means for supporting films of various sizes and being further provided with highly improved clips for positively gripping the corners of the films, said clips being so constructed as to project out of the plane of the holder a minimum amount whereby a relatively large number of holders may be supported side by side in a small space.

A further object of this invention is to provide a neat, rugged and compact film holder of the character described, which shall comprise comparatively few and simple parts, be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate and yet practical and eificient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope'of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a holder embodying the invention supporting a film;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the clips embodying the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a holder embodying the invention for supporting a photographic film such as film 11. The holder 10 comprises an elongated rod or top cross-member 12 of any suitable cross-section, here shown for the purpose of illustration only, as being hexagonal in cross-section to provide a flat undersurface 13 to permit the holder to hang without swaying, on the side edges of a solution container or receptacle. Attached to said rod 12 is a U-shaped frame member 14 preferably made of round stock, having parallel arms 15 and 16 0 provided with loops 15a and 16a in the upper ends thereof for receiving the rod 12 therethrough and being soldered to said ro'd. Said frame 14 further comprises a bottom member 17 parallel to the rod 12 and interconnecting the 5 arms 15 and 1s. The portion 18 of the rod on one side of the arm 16, is preferably longer than the portion 19 of the rod projecting beyond the other arm 15.

For supporting the film 11 on the holder, there is provided a pair of symmetrically disposed members 20 and 21 made of elongated spring wire stock, having vertical arms 22 and 23 extending through openings in the rod 12, and portions 221; and 23a extending from said portions 22 and 23, respectively, and contacting the upper surface of said rod, said portions 22a and 23a being soldered to the rod 12 for firmly attaching the members 20, 21 thereto. Extending from said portions 22 and 23 are inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions 24 and 25, respectively, terminat- "(0 ing in free arm portions 26 and 27, normally disposed parallel to the rod 12. It will be noted that the loops 24 and 25 substantially contact one another, and the arms 26 and 27 terminate adjacent the arms 15 and 16, respectively, of the frame 14. With this construction the resilient arms 26 and 27 are of maximum length. Attached to each of the free outer ends of said arms 26 and 2'7 is a clip 30 described in detail hereinafter, for engaging a corner of the film 11.

One of said clips 30 is shown in detail on Fig. 3 of the drawing, and is-seen to comprise a jaw member 31 made of sheet metal and provided with a wall 31a from opposite sides of which there extends a pair of parallel ears 32 formed with aligned bearing openings. Said wall 31a has an opening 33 adjacent one end thereof, and an opening 34 adjacent the opposite end thereof. Said opposite end portion 35 is preferably wider than the rest of the wall 31a and curved inwardly to receive a portion of the arm 26 or 27, said curved end portion 35 being soldered or otherwise suitably attached to the free end of said arm whereby the clips may be supported on the ends of the rods with the portion 31 extending downwardly and parallel to the arms 15 and 16 of the frame 14. Said clip 30 further comprises a second jaw member 37 having a wall portion 38 parallel to the wall 31a and ears 39 received within the ears 32 and likewise formed with bearing openings, registering with the bearing openings of the ears 32, and receiving a pivot pin 40 therethrough for pivotally interconnecting the members 3'7 and 31.

A curved plate spring 43 bent around said pivot pin 40 is provided with arms contacting the inner surfaces of said walls 31 and 38, one of said arms having a projection received within the opening 34, and the other arm having a projection 44 received within an opening 45 formed in said wall 28. Extending from said wall 38, substantially at right angles thereto, toward wall portion 31a, is a wall portion 4'7 having aligned edge portions 49 and 50 forming shoulders, and a point 51 projecting between and beyond said shoulders 49 and 50, and adapted to be received within the opening 33 in said wall 31.

It will now be noted that a firm grip may be obtained on the film by reason of the point 51 piercing the film and entering the opening 33, the aligned shoulders or edge portions 49 and 50 being adapted to contact the film and acting as a stop for the member 37 and also serving to further press the film against the inner surface of the wall 31. By reason of the fact that the wall 38 is parallel to the wall 31, the clip will be substantially aligned with the arms 15 and 16 to project a minimum amount out of the plane of the frame 14. It will be noted that the ends of the arms 26 and 27 are disposed on one side of the plane of the frame 14 so that the clips 30 will project from one side of said frame to a small distance beyond the plane of the frame on the opposite side thereof.

Fixed to the portion 1'7 of the frame 14 adja cent the outer ends thereof, are another pair of clips 30 likewise having curved portions 35 S01- dered to said member 17. Said latter pair of clips 30 are likewise substantially in the plane of said frame so as to project very little beyond said plane whereby a number of holders may be mounted side by side or in superimposed relation, in a small space. It will be noted that with the spring members 20 and 21 located only at the top of the frame, a considerable range of sizes of films may be mounted on the holder by reason of the maximum length of spring arms 26, 2'1. When a small film is mounted on the frame, the arms 26 and 27 will merely be fiexed downwardly.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent:

1. A film holder comprising a rod, a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel arms fixed at the upper ends thereof to said rod, and a pair of symmetrically disposed members made of spring material having arms attached to said rod. and inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions terminating in outwardly extending spring arms, normally parallel to said rod, and clips fixed to the outer ends of said spring arms for engaging a film.

2. A film holder comprising a rod, a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel arms fixed at the upper ends thereof to said rod, and a pair of symmetrically disposed members made of spring material having arms attached to said rod, and inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions terminating in outwardly extending spring arms. normally parallel to said rod, and clips fixed to the outer ends of said spring arms for engaging a film, said loops being substantially in contact with one another.

3. A film holder comprising a rod, a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel arms fixed at the upper ends thereof to said rod, and a pair of symmetrically disposed members made of spring material having arms attached to said rod, and inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions terminating in outwardly extending spring arms normally parallel to said rod, and clips fixed to the outer ends of said spring arms for engaging a film, said loops being substantially in contact with one another, and the outer ends of said spring arms terminating adjacent the parallel arms of said U-shaped frame.

4. A film holder comprising a rod, a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel arms fixed at the upper ends thereof to said rod, and a pair of symmetrically disposed members made of spring material having arms attached to said rod, and inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions terminating in outwardly extending spring arms normally parallel to said rod, and clips fixed to the outer ends of said spring arms for engaging a film, each of said clips comprising a jaw member fixed to one of said arms, a second jaw member pivoted to said first member and disposed parallel to said first jaw member.

5. A film holder comprising a rod, a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel arms fixed at the upper ends thereof to said rod, and a pair of symmetrically disposed members made of spring material having arms attached to said rod, and inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions terminating in outwardly extending spring arms normally parallel to said rod, and clips fixed to the outer ends of sa d spring arms for engaging a film, each of said clips comprising a jaw member fixed to one of said arms, a second jaw member pivoted to said first member and disposed parallel to said first Jaw member, said second jaw member having a wall portion extending at right angles to said first jaw member and provided with a pair of aligned edge portions forming shoulders, and an outwardly pro jecting point between said shoulders, said first Jaw member being formed with an opening for receiving said point.

6. A film holder comprising a rod, a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel arms fixed at the upper ends thereof to said rod, and a pair of symmetrically disposed members made of spring material having arms attached to said rod, and inwardly and rearwardly bent loop portions terminating in outwardly extending spring arms normally parallel to said rod, and clips fixed to the outer ends of said spring arms for engaging a film, each of said clips comprising a member fixed to one of said arms, a second member pivoted to said first member, said second member having a wall portion parallel to the first member, and a portion extending at right angles to said first portion and provided with a pair of aligned edge portions forming shoulders, said first member being formed with an opening for receiving said point.

HARRY B. WOLF. 

